Grace
by Alan Quicksilver
Summary: [Abandoned] Sequal to [Flowers Before Dawn] Raven and Kale are a couple hoping for more. But Beast Boy is miserable. Can the appearance of one very familiar girl change his luck?
1. A Little Sadness and A Little Secret

**Grace**

**Official Disclaimer:** The Teen Titans are copyright Warner Bros. Entertainment and Cartoon Network. All original characters are my own and may not be used without permission.

Kev -Hello again everyone. It's been a while hasn't it.

Vincent - You can say that again.

Kev - Rolls his eyes Anyway. Everyone seemed to like my Flowers Before Dawn story so much, I've decided to write a sequal.

Vincent - And it's about time.

Kev - What crawled up your ass and died?

Vincent - I'm just having a bad day.

_**Chapter One: A Little Sadness and A Little Secret**_

Beast Boy hated the mornings.

When he was younger it was because he and Cyborg would always fight over what they had for breakfast, tofu or meat. Now it was for a different reason. As he entered the kitchen area he saw what he had seen every day for almost a year now. Cyborg was talking endlessly into his arm communicator to Bumblebee. Bumblebee was leader of Titans East and couldn't visit the tower very often, so every morning the two would talk for hours over their communicators. This was the easiest of the romances to watch.

"So.." he was saying"We should meet tomorrow at the arcade." He paused to wait for her reply. "How about Noon" He paused again. "See you then" There was a soft beep as the comm-link shut down and Cyborg began to shovel his lukewarm breakfast into his mouth, scrambled eggs and bacon dripping with maple syrup.

Robin and Starfire were a different story. They sat painfully close together, and kept finding reasons to touch each other. They exchanged sugary compliments and "I love you"s all day long. If they were apart from each other for more than two minutes they would get depressed or impatient, mostly both, and go find each other. Breakfast was the worst, they fed each other, and after they finished they would just stare into each others eyes until something caught their attention, which was very hard to do and didn't happen often.

Today they were sharing a double bowl of oatmeal. They would lovingly dip their spoons into the lumpy mixture and then slip the utensil into each other's mouths while making cooing noises at one another. _'Lather, rinse, repeat.'_ Beast Boy thought placing a hand on his stomach, nearly loosing his appetite.

Then there was Raven and Kale. Beast Boy still felt a pang of jealousy in his heart just looking at them. They didn't talk much, they didn't have to, they shared a mental link and could communicate using just their thoughts. They didn't touch except to hold hands every now and then and always tried to spare the others their intimacy. It was a thoughtful gesture, but Beast Boy would always become more distressed at watching them leave the room arm in arm, Raven leaning her head on Kale's shoulder, when the needed to touch and kiss, than if they did it on the spot.

Beast Boy ate and left the room quickly.

In the past year he had gone through nearly thirty dates, all of them colossal failures. As a result, he had a lot of time to think, and he spent most of his time alone anymore. The titans still did group activities together, like training, shopping, and other things, but they would always split into pairs. Inevitably he would be stuck with Cyborg, and all he would do is talk about Bumblebee, his car, Bumblebee, meat, Bumblebee, electronics, Bumblebee, his car, and Bumblebee. And so Beast Boy spent most of his time in his room thinking.

Beast Boy had also finally come to realize that Raven would always be his friend but never his girlfriend, and he had found that at some point along the line, he had truly loved Terra. He went to her monument when he really wanted to be alone, and being in the presence of someone who had really loved him back, locked in stone or no, was comforting if not much else. She had once been so full of life. Bright yellow hair flowing in the wind, blue eyes sparkling, and she had been in love with him. If he looked at her and now, everything was gray. Not a trace of life lingered in those stone features. They had all searched for a cure, but they came up empty handed every time.

Beast Boy walked the corridors, almost hoping that the alarm would go off, giving him something to distract him from his melancholy. Most of his suits were in disrepair and the one he wore had the least number of holes in it. He eventually found his way back to his room, which was even messier than usual. He climbed into his bed and, facing the wall, sank into a pit of despair.

Alas It was not to be as soon there was a knock on his door. He made his way to the door, and cracked it open. On the other side, was Kale Syger. "Are you alright BB" he asked. "You seem a bit depressed lately." Kale had light brown hair that fell to his shoulders and deep blue eyes. He was also a very kind and caring person.

"Hey" he whispered. "Come in." Beast Boy sighed and stood back, letting the door open fully. Kale walked in and found the desk chair. He brushed it clean of trash and sat on it backwards, placing his arms on the back and resting his chin on those.

"Wanna talk about it" he asked. Beast Boy grunted. "Why don't you start at what's bothering you the most and work out from there."

Beast Boy sighed again and began to talk. "It's frustrating to see everyone so happy when I feel so miserable. Cyborg is always talking to Bumblebee, squeezing every last bit of affection out of every conversation as though it could be years before they talk again, when they do it every morning. Star and Robin are enough to make anyone sick. All of that cooing and giggling. You'd think they were the only people on earth." He paused and plunked himself down on a rare bare patch of floor. "And no offense but you and Raven are the worst. I'd had a crush on her since I first met her, but you pop out of nowhere and capture her heart with a snap of your camera."

Beast Boy didn't know why he felt so comfortable talking to Kale about these things. Maybe it was because he almost never got upset, or perhaps it was because he understood. He didn't know why. But knowing Kale was like having a kind older brother to help you out. Someone who would listen to your silliest fears and not make fun of you. Being the youngest titan was hard and he was grateful for the support.

"So..." Kale looked thoughtful"You're jealous that everyone is in love and you feel left out." The way he said it was comforting, understanding. "You can't help but wish that you had someone special as well."

"Yeah. Even when we do group stuff, we tend to pair off. I'm either stuck having to listen to Cy rave on about his 'precious beautiful Bumblebee' or simply alone walking at the rear." Beast Boy hung his head dejectedly, heaving a great sigh. There were a few moments silence and then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He looked up to see Kale's eyes sparkling, a smile playing on his lips. "Whatever you do" he said"Don't ever give up. I would suggest that you keep a diary" Beast Boy glared at that"OK, journal. But if that doesn't work, you know that my door is always open to you."

He stood and made to leave but before he could, Beast Boy spoke up. "Thanks."

"No problem."

* * *

Beast Boy emerged from his room around midday. His talk with Kale had made him feel somewhat better, and relieved some of his depression. He wandered the corridors looking for someone to talk to or something to do. He had walked past Robin's bedroom, but hearing some funny noises and a lot of giggling coming from behind the door he decided he'd rather not know. Cyborg was doing something on the computer in the main area, and he hadn't wanted to bother him. He had also found that Raven had gone into the city for a bit. 

As he rounded the corner, walking towards Kale's room he heard a voice. He didn't think much of this until he was close enough to hear clearly. He heard"...hope I have enough." He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he edged slowly down the hall, careful not to make any noise and listened. "A few more days of work and I'll be able to afford it." he seemed pleased with himself. "I'll have to ask her outside so nothing valuable gets broken. This kind of thing gets a strong emotional reaction from women. I wouldn't want anything destroyed." He paused a moment, and Beast Boy could clearly hear the anticipation in the silence. "I just hope she says yes."

Deciding not to take any more chances he walked up to the open door and looked in. Kale was reading from a large catalog, though he could not make out what it was advertising, some of the prices were very high. Kale quickly stuffed the magazine into a desk drawer and turned to Beast Boy. "How can I help you BB"

"I was just looking for something to do really. I'm a little board and everyone else seems busy." He tried not to give away that he had been eavesdropping. He played it cool.

"Well..." Kale scratched his chin thoughtfully, his brown hair brushing at his shoulders. "I was about to head to my studio and open shop. Would you like to tag along." After becoming a titan, Kale had opened a small photography studio in the city. It wasn't well known yet, but the pictures were top notch as Kale developed all the film himself. The titans had plenty of money for whatever they needed, and the city picked up their utilities. Why Kale felt he needed a job was beyond him.

However, Beast Boy had always been curious about what exactly Kale did at work, other than take photos. "Sure" he agreed"Why not. I need to get some fresh air anyway."

"Great." Kale said with a smile"Meet me in the entrance hall in about five minutes, and bundle up, it's cold."

Five minutes later they were meandering down a street, as Kale wasn't in a hurry to get where he was going. Sure enough it was cold, and snowing as well. The streets were covered in glistening white snow. It was barely past Thanksgiving, and yet Christmas decorations were already hung, sale signs pinned in store windows. Small children had their noses pressed against said windows, marveling at the things that they may or may not receive as presents for their good or bad behavior during the months before and the days to come.

After they had made it a goodly way into the city they wandered into a play park where children were making snow forts and throwing snowballs. Beast Boy jumped when something cold and wet hit the back of his head. "Hey" he called, turning to see a small boy, about the age of seven or eight. He was being followed by another boy about the same age and a girl who looked a year younger and holding a snowball in his hand.

"Hey Kale" one of them, the one in the lead, yelled. "Who's this dork"

"This" Kale spoke to the leader"is Beast Boy as you well know." He chuckled a bit and asked"And how are you three today? Nelson? Joshua? Mary"

"I'm alright" the leader, who Beast Boy assumed was Nelson, replied. He was a scrawny boy but he held an air of command around him that ensured that no one his own age would mess with him. His flaming red hair was partially covered by a thick wool cap and he squinted his watery blue eyes over the glare of the sun on the snow.

"I'm fine, Mr. Syger sir." The other boy Joshua, gave his reply which was polite and respectful. He had sandy brown hair and wore earmuffs which set his glasses somewhat askew over his dull green eyes.

The small girl, Mary, walked up to Kale and tugged on his pant leg. She was dressed all in pink, her dark brown hair sticking out of her toboggan cap, and her mittens clutched tightly on her hands. He crouched down so that he was on her level. "What is it Mary" he asked smiling.

"Mr. Kale? Is what I heard true? Did you make Miss Raven not lonely any more" Miss Raven? Beast Boy scratched the back of his head at that. How did this little girl know Raven? Were they related? Kale went just a little pink at the question, but grinned none the less.

"Yes I did Mary. And if you can keep a secret I'll tell you something special." The little girl nodded eagerly her hazel eyes bright. Kale leaned in a little closer and put a hand beside his mouth, to hide his lips and muffle his whisper. When he stood up the little girl was bouncing with joy. "Now remember" Kale said in a sing-song voice"It's our little secret." Kale chatted with the children a little bit before he and Beast Boy departed, making their way further into the city.

Now Beast Boy's curiosity was peaked. "So.." he began carefully"What was that all about"

"The two boys were my neighbors before I moved into the tower. But the little girl..." he trailed off. He thought for a moment and sighed. "I guess she wouldn't mind if I told you." He looked a bit dubious about it. "Raven's been working at a children's book store here in the city, off and on for the past three years now. I think she was embarrassed to admit it to you and the others but I don't see any shame in it. Some time last year, before she and I got together, during that whole 'Secret Admirer' thing, the usual Story Time reader had died and they needed a replacement. I happened to show up at the shop at the right time and Raven wheedled me into filling the position on that day.

The girl, Mary, stayed a little after the story to talk to me about how Raven always seemed sad and lonely all the time, and she asked if I was, or wanted to be, Raven's boyfriend. Luckily her mother saved me from having to answer."

Beast Boy's brain began to burn with questions. Raven had a side job too? A children's book store? His day just kept getting weirder and weirder. "So what's the secret if you don't mind me asking"

Kale's eyes twinkled with barely hidden amusement. He raised an eyebrow at the green wonder and said"Sorry. If I told you" he seemed on the verge of laughter"it wouldn't be a secret would it"


	2. Out of Nowhere

**A/N:** Well here's the next chapter. I'm going to try to update at least once a week, but sometimes it work. And I'm still working on parts of my HP fic "Coming To Terms", and I'm going to do some really deep digging for my Lupin III fic "A Pack of Wolves". Promise I'll at least try to keep at least this and CTC going.

I'm going to snag an idea from my friend Yma and start posting review replies on my Live Journal if you guys think it's a good idea. So if you don't mind that, you can find a link in my bio page.

**Purtymanagirl58 - **Secrets are fun plot devices. They keep the reader interested enough to do a little more reading. If your as smart as I think you are you'll figure it out soon enough. If not, then it will be a mild surprise. Kale is a bit old fashioned.

_**Chapter Two: Out of Nowhere**_

Raven sat once again behind the counter of "Cozy Corner Children's Books". It had been a few weeks since she had come in to work, fortunately her work schedule was _very_ flexible. The shop remained unchanged. It still had that comfortable air about it and Raven enjoyed working there. Small children would rush in excitedly to look over the shelves of books filled with stories, followed by their parents smiling at the fact that their children enjoyed reading. She leaned back in the swivel chair and closed the book she had been reading.

She just couldn't seem to concentrate today. She had noticed Kale acting quite odd lately. He kept sneaking around the tower, as though he was hiding something. This seemed very likely since she could feel that he forced himself to stop thinking about something when she entered the room. He was suppressing something so that she wouldn't find out. Far from worrying about this, Raven found it quite funny. Her boyfriend was trying to be sneaky and Raven knew it had something to do with her. She smiled to herself, she needed a good challenge.

Then there was Beast Boy. He was constantly moping around the tower. He had come down with a bad case of melancholy. The titans had talked about it, and agreed that his problem was loneliness. Everyone in the tower was in love except him. Once the problem had been identified, Kale, being the sweet, kind, and caring person he was, had set out to find a solution. The others wanted to help, but were caught up in their own lives as well as the occasional villain.

The bell above the door jingled as someone walked into the store, shaking Raven out of her thoughts. In strolled three of her regular customers, followed closely by their mothers. Nelson Dank, Joshua Amid, and Mary Polk. Mary, all dressed in pink, hurried up to the counter and peeked her smiling face over the top as best she could. "Miss Raven, Miss Raven" she bobbed merrily on the tips of her toes, "Guess who we saw on our way here."

Raven smiled brightly, "Santa?" The small girl shook her head no. "I give up," she said "tell me."

"We saw Mr. Kale!"

"Really?" Raven certainly hadn't been expecting that.

"Yeah. He and Beast Boy were walking somewhere and we talked to them." Mary was bouncing with enthusiasm, "And Mr. Kale told me a secret, and I can't tell anyone about it."

"Wow! A secret." She wasn't just playing along anymore, Raven was _very_ interested as to what this secret was. However, Mary was dragged away by the boys before Raven had the chance to ask her anything else. "Come on Mary," Nelson whined, "Let's go look at the comics."

"Those kids." Mary's mother, Charlotte, leaned on the counter. She was watching her daughter look through the comics with Nelson and Joshua. She was a thin woman of average height. She had thick, curly brown hair, and piercing green eyes. And she loved to tease Raven. Charlotte claimed that Raven would look better with more "color" in her cheeks. Raven had the sneaking suspicion that red was her favorite color.

"Did they really see Kale?" Raven asked.

"Yes, they did. We were at the play park over on Johnson Street and Nelson spotted Kale and Beast Boy." She smiled as Mary coaxed the boys into the girls section. "They talked and Kale whispered something in Mary's ear. She's been bragging that she knows something and we don't."

Raven rarely became curious enough to nose into other peoples business and she was trying her hardest not to use her powers to find out just what that secret was. She kept telling herself that it was probably just something silly like his favorite color, or what his birthmark was shaped like (both of which Raven already knew). "So..." Raven began "How was Kale when you saw him?"

"He looked pretty good to me." Charlotte gave Raven a sly look, "You snagged yourself a keeper huh?" Raven merely blushed. "No" Mrs. Polk continued, grinning roguishly, "He really is a sweet guy. You're lucky he was after you from the start."

Raven was now red in the face with embarrassment. "What makes you say that?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"Oh nothing..." Charlotte waved her hand, "Just that he's the kind of guy every woman dreams she'd met and married." Raven picked up her book and hid behind it. "You are planning to marry him, aren't you?"

Raven sighed, knowing she wasn't going to be able to avoid the question, and answered. "Yes," she said placing her book back on the counter, "I do want to marry him. But I want him to propose, and only when he's ready." Before Charlotte could say anything more Mary, Nelson, and Joshua arrived at the counter with the other two mothers, each with a stack of books.

* * *

Kale and Beast Boy had finally made it to Kale's shop. It was set up and open, but Kale's schedule showed that there were no appointments for that day. "Dude," Beast Boy complained, "If you don't have any appointments for today why are we here?"

"Because there are people who like to make appointments in person. You can't neglect your shop just because nobody's scheduled that day. It's bad business. Besides," he said, looking through some cabinets, "I've been working on a special project and I needed to find a nice photo album. If you go to the East Side Market two blocks over and find a nice blue one I'll even teach you how to develop film."

That grabbed his attention. Beast Boy had always wondered what went on in the darkroom. "Alright. I'll find you an album." Kale smiled broadly and reached into his pocket to pull out a wad of cash. He counted out about twenty-five dollars and sent Beast Boy on his way. The streets outside were very busy, even for the Christmas season. It didn't take him long to find the market and he was soon inside browsing the shelves.

He wandered through the snack aisle first, but finding nothing he craved he moved on to finding what he was sent for. He looked at several photo albums before picking a nice dark blue one out. Then, thinking about what Kale had said that morning, he went looking for a journal. After browsing and choosing a notebook with a bright green plastic cover and buckle, he paid for them and exited the store.

He was almost back to the studio when a bright blue orb appeared out in the middle of the street. It glowed brighter and brighter. As suddenly as it had appeared it was gone and in it's place was a young woman. Cars immediately put on their brakes, but one wasn't stopping fast enough. Beast Boy reacted instantly. Not even bothering to morph, he ran out and tackled the young woman to the safety of the opposite sidewalk. The car stopped just where the two had been moments ago. Beast Boy stood and walked over to the car in question. He tapped the window with his finger and it rolled down. The man inside looked badly shaken.

"You might want to have those brakes checked." He said calmly.

"Yes sir." The man nodded, still shaken from the near accident. He rolled up his window and started carefully down the street again, as did the rest of the cars. Beast Boy walked back over to the young woman and helped her up.

"Thank you" she said. Now that he got a good look at her, she looked familiar. She had bright, golden hair and green eyes. She was wearing summer clothes and looked cold. Indeed she was shivering.

"You look cold," he said, "Here. Take my jacket." He removed his jacket and handed it to her. She started to protest but BB cut her off. "You need it more than I do. Take it."

"Thanks again." She stood there for a moment, and then spoke again. "Do you happen to know where I could find Kale Syger?"

"Sure," Beast Boy said, a little surprised, "I'll take you to his studio, I'm going there anyway." The two moved quickly to the small studio, Beast Boy still carrying the bag with the album in it. They arrived a short time later and Beast Boy yelled, "Hey Kale! I'm back with the album you wanted and there's someone here to see you."

Kale came bustling out of one of the closets and looked up. He seemed startled and the first word out of his mouth was, "Grace?"


	3. A Night Out

**A/N: **This was supposed to be out on Monday, but my internet service was down during the weekend. Not much happens during this chapter, but if you look closely you'll see some of the subtle conflicts. I certainly hope you're smart enought that I don't have to hit you over the head with the plot.

_Vincent - _Most of your readers are smart enough. They may have to reread the chapter once or twice though.

_Kev - _You don't think I made it too subtle do you?

_Vincent - _Not really. They should be able to figure it out.

**Reveiw Replies**

**Purtymanagirl58** - Glad you like. I'm not worried. I'm not going to quit this story unless I get lots of really bad flames, which I'm sure won't happen. I'm sure I'll get most of my old readers back as well as a few more. I hope this story turns out better than the last one did though. I plan on making it longer.

**FSL** - You followed me all the way here from theHarry Potter section-Shrugs- Whatever. Could you please leave more in your reveiw than just an emoticon. I need to know whether that is a good reaction or a bad one.

**Big Question! Please Respond!** - The mods at FFNet are against long review replies, and I like to respond to the people who like my stories enough to review. Would anyone object to reading the review replies on my LiveJournal? You can find a link to it in my Bio page. You can also leave comments on the posts (annonymous comments accepted). What say you?

_**Chapter Three: An Evening Out**_

It suddenly clicked in Beast Boy's head why the girl looked so familiar. She was Grace, Kale's older sister. They had met once before, about a year ago, when Kale's mother had tried to kill him. After the initial shock wore off, Kale cracked into a huge grin. Beast Boy watched as Grace jumped the store counter and tackled Kale to the floor in a bear hug. He picked up his jacket that had fallen from Grace's shoulders when she leaped, and placed it on the coat rack. Placing his new journal into one of the pockets and the album on the counter he watched as the two stood and, smiling, hugged again, this time much gentler.

Kale and Grace pulled apart and began to speak. "_Myzir! Tema nadek syu annex!"_ Kale intentioned. Beast Boy passed his hand over his face. Just when his day couldn't have gotten weirder, his friend began talking in a foreign language.

"_Mataa dreg oo-rauck Zevex. Naaga des avarra!"_ was Grace's reply.

Beast Boy took it upon himself to intervene before things got out of hand. "In English please?"

Kale looked a bit sheepish at that. He rubbed the back of his neck and explained, "It's a traditional greeting. It translates roughly as; 'Hello and well met!'; and the reply is; 'I come to you in good health. And you the same!' Of course you know that Zevex and Myzir are our real names."

"Oh," he said slowly, "Yeah." Beast Boy stored that information away for later. "Anyway," he said, "I got you that album and I picked up a journal for myself if that's alright."

"Of course it's fine with me," Kale said dismissively. "Just put the change in the cash box." Beast Boy did as instructed, sorting the bills and coins into their appropriate slots, and then asked about the promised photography lessons. "Sorry BB," he apologized, "But since Grace showed up so suddenly," he shrugged his shoulders.

"That's alright," Beast Boy waved it away. It was disappointing, but he knew that Kale would find time later to teach him about developing film. He never broke a promise. He looked back at the duo and was surprised to see Grace smiling at him. After Kale had taken his new album into one of the back rooms, she approached him.

"I still have to thank you for saving my life and then lending me your jacket." Despite his best efforts, Beast Boy blushed. Grace giggled. "Such a gentleman," she said, "and modest too." Before BB could say anything, Kale bustled back into the front.

"Hey BB. Can I ask you a big favor?" Kale asked.

"Sure thing."

"I've called Robin and told him about this. He's setting up a spare room for Grace but it wont be ready for an hour." He pulled out two twenty dollar bills and handed it to Beast Boy, "Take my sister to lunch and get her a jacket. Then show her around town until about two-thirty. The room should be ready by then." Beast Boy nodded, "I'll see you around six o'clock, Raven and I are having dinner after work. So..." He left it hanging and both he and Grace got the message.

Beast Boy grabbed his jacket and offered it to Grace again. "Thanks," she said taking it.

* * *

Beast Boy and Grace sat in a small corner café in downtown Jump City. They sat sipping hot chocolate while their lunch was being prepared. Beast Boy had ordered angel hair pasta with a simple marinara sauce, and Grace had gotten a Cesar salad. While Beast Boy was a vegetarian by choice, meat made Grace physically ill, something she had shared with them during her last visit. Beast Boy found his eyes drifting toward the light hearted woman beside him. She was so different from her brother. 

Her arms were crossed on the bar, one hand clutching the handle of her mug. The new jacket was hanging on the back of her chair, it was a very deep shade of forest green. Her long golden hair kept falling over her her shoulder and into her face. She absently pushed it back, but it eventually returned with a vengeance. Sparkling green eyes flitted from this to that with fascination. She reminded him of Starfire. The rogue strand of hair returned to her face and she huffed irritably at it.

Without thinking Beast Boy took the plastic band and buckle from his journal and tied her hair back for her. She looked at him curiously for a moment, in which he blushed, realizing what he had done, but then shrugged and went back to sipping her hot chocolate. He averted his eyes for a moment but once again found them drifting to his friend's sister.

While Kale was happy go lucky, he was always half serious about everything. Grace seemed to enjoy almost everything only becoming serious when her "baby brother's" well being was concerned. Beast Boy remembered that in the two days she had visited a year ago she had taken Raven out for a long walk. When she had suggested this she seemed very grave. When they had returned they had been laughing heartily at some joke or other. Kale was very right and proper, joking only within reason. Grace seemed to see everything as a joke and a half. They seemed to be almost completely opposite.

Grace also reminded Beast Boy of Starfire. She was a stranger to this world. Kale had once tried to explain that he wasn't from another planet, but a whole different reality all together. All of the big words he used made Beast Boy's head hurt. He wasn't stupid, but he had a hard time following the explanation. Something about quantum matrices and dimensional trans-something-or-others. He knew that Kale and Grace were still from earth, just a completely different earth. Grace was far from naïve, but there were things she didn't understand.

Her eyes lingered on a couple at one of the tables. They were holding hands across their table and sipping their espresso and coffees, making quiet conversation, while staring lovingly into each other's eyes. As she watched, and he watched her watch, something very odd was happening to Beast Boy. There was something in his chest, a tightness, an eagerness to leave the shop and the couple behind.

After they finished their meals, Beast Boy hurriedly paid the bill and walked swiftly, with Grace in tow, out into the show heading back toward the tower. He needed to get Grace to her awaiting room; he needed to think.

* * *

Kale and Raven were walking through a small park near the edge of the city. Their hands were entwined and they walked slowly, taking in the glistening snow. It was cold, but not bitterly so. The two weren't talking, or even conversing at all. They had said everything worth saying over dinner. The couple stopped and turned to look out over the bay and Raven leaned her head on Kale's shoulder. She was reveling in her boyfriends feelings. She felt his shock and surprise at his sister's arrival. He was very happy to see her, but even happier to be spending time with the woman he loved. 

All of that happiness left a warm glow, and Raven basked in it. For now, everything was as it should be. But Raven got the sneaking suspicion that Beast Boy's problem was going to get worse, much worse, before it got better.


	4. A Time for Talk

**A/N:** Just barely made my deadline. For a minute or two I thought I'd be late updating again.

_Vincent_ - But you weren't so don't dwell on it.

_Kev_ - I see that I don't have enough reviewers yet to put my replies in my LJ so I guess I'll just have to keep them here for now.

_Vincent - _I guess so.

**FSL** - Much better. Thank you.

_**Chapter Four: A Time for Talk**_

It was late, how late he didn't know. Once every two or three months Beast Boy promised himself he'd start wearing a watch, but he never followed through. He sat inside a cave, deep beneath the city. There wasn't much light, just a few candles. Terra's monument was largely unchanged. He sat legs crossed on the floor staring up at his lost friend. He had spent many a night here, just thinking since that day long ago. For some time he had been taking money from the titan's financial pool to do some renovating, however the only difference in the cave was that now there were many full length mirrors lining the walls.

Beast Boy shifted and stood. He didn't know how long he had been sitting in silence, going over the events of the day. Silently he walked over to one of the mirrors. He looked himself over apathetically. He looked different, but he guessed a few years could do that to a person.

Where his hair had been spiked in a fair imitation of Robin's old style, now it was a little longer and seemed to float out from his head a little. His overall appearance was a bit more shaggy than before. After a while he had stopped caring about his looks, letting his hair and slowly developing facial hair grow out until one of the other titans pointed out that he needed a shave and a haircut. He was taller too. For a while he had thought he wasn't going to grow any taller than four-foot-five, now he stood five-foot-eleven. He looked much like an a-typical 'surf dude'. The way he talked was similar to that lifestyle, his laid back posture gave the look of riding an imaginary wave. Even his bodysuit gave to the illusion.

The others had changed too. Robin's hair wasn't gelled anymore, he had let it grow out and it was close to reaching shoulder length. The color's of his costume were starting to get darker as well. He had even been contemplating the identity change to Nightwing ever since their fight with Warp. He had been looking forward to that. The 'Boy Wonder' wasn't scrawny anymore either. His well toned muscles were something else for Starfire to swoon over.

Of all of the titans Starfire had changed both the most _and_ the least. Her appearance hadn't changed beyond the fact that she was a woman now and her hair was shorter. But her understanding of earth customs were at least on par with the others now. Once she had mastered American culture, she had moved on to the various other nations, starting with Mexico and Canada and moving outward from there. She had recently moved on to Australia and Japan. She spoke English, Spanish, and French fluently. She could converse well in Swahili, Portuguese, and German, though in a rough accent. She could even speak broken Cantonese and a few words in Italian.

Cyborg's appearance never changed, but he had changed a lot nonetheless. He was much less impulsive, and his rivalry with Robin had dwindled into almost nonexistence. He had finally gotten his temper under control, but he was still obsessed when it came to his 'baby', the T-car. He also ate a lot less meat now. With all of the medical studies in the world, there had bound to be hope. While there was no hope of him ever eating tofu, he ate more vegetables then he used to.

Raven had changed the most though. Outwardly she had become a dashing young woman. Beast Boy would have liked to told anyone who asked that he hadn't noticed, but that would have been an outright lie. She had grown her hair out, letting it fall to the small of her back. Her cloak still had it's cowl, but it was no longer attached at her shoulders. Now it was only fastened at the wrists and was a bit shorter than her old one. Her personality had changed almost completely. While she still enjoyed silence, good books, and herbal tea; she now had someone to talk with on a daily basis that she could relate to. Kale Syger had filled a void in her life and she had drawn out of herself even more than when they had defeated Trigon for good. She smiled a lot more and she almost never lost control of her emotions.

Beast Boy sighed and went to stand in front of Terra. He had sat and thought for a long while, and now it was time for him to share his thoughts and feelings with his one time crush and friend. "It seems I only come to you with bad news and complaints anymore," he said clearly, his deep voice lending a vibrating echo to the small cavern. "I've just been so depressed lately." He sighed again, "Kale helps some, he's like the older brother I never had, but he can't solve my problems for me."

Reaching out he brushed his fingers over the plaque that sat at her feet. He traced the letters in her name before continuing. "You remember I told you about Kale's sister? Grace?" he asked, knowing not to expect an answer. "She's visiting again. I don't know how long she's staying this time though." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "It's scary," he said in a whisper, "She does something to me, makes me feel things. I'm not sure just what it is I'm feeling and it frightens me."

Beast Boy walked to one side of the cavern, to one of the wooden shelves that the few candles sat on. He passed his hand over the flame of one candle. He let himself be absorbed in the dancing fire. "I promised myself that after you..." his voice caught in his throat for a moment, "died, I wouldn't dwell on you. I vowed to date, to find someone. For a while I went back to trying to draw Raven out, my crush returned with full force. But then Kale showed up and did what I couldn't. He loved Raven, and let her love him. It pains me to say it, but they are perfect for one another."

"Then I started dating in the city. Lot's of girls jumped at the chance to be seen with a Teen Titan, sure, but after they had gained social stardom by being out with someone famous, they went along with their lives. They used their newfound fame to get the guys they really wanted." He sighed forlornly and stopped staring at the hypnotizing dance of the flames to walk back to Terra. "Not many girls can live with a vegetarian let alone a green freak of nature." From here his thoughts turned to more mundane things, the latest villains, recent news, and general babbling.

Finally after a while he curled up on the floor of the cave to sleep. It might have been his imagination, or his depression, or even fatigue, but he could have swore that someone kissed him goodnight before he transformed into a dog and drifted off into slumber.

* * *

Beast Boy dropped through his window in the tower just before dawn broke. He had planned to change into his pajamas and saunter out into the kitchen as usual to cover up his disappearance last night. What he didn't count on was seeing Robin sitting in the desk chair. Nor did he think that when he bolted back to the window, ready to transform, he would run into Cyborg's metallic chest. He sighed, resigned, when Cyborg picked him up by the back of his shirt, and the three began to walk towards the den. 

Beast Boy didn't need ask what this was about, but he did anyway. "Team meeting," was all Robin would say. When they entered the den all of the other Titans plus Grace were sitting around the couch and there was a lone chair sitting in the middle of the room. Cyborg set him down in the chair while Robin and Cyborg himself sat on the couch. Beast Boy looked around as they all watched him with serious faces. He absently noted that Grace had put her hair up with his buckle again.

Robin, who was now seated directly across from Beast Boy, leaned forward and spoke, "We need to talk," he paused for a moment then corrected, "No, you need to talk. Talk to us." Robin stood and began to pace, "We're worried about you BB. You spend all day locked up in your room anymore," he started counting on his fingers, "When you do come out of your room you mope and sigh all the time. You only talk to Kale because he insists. You spending all night at 'Her'monument is the last straw." He stopped pacing and turned to look at Beast Boy. "This has got to stop."

Beast Boy sighed, "You don't understand, how lonely it is, none of you."

"Wanna bet?" Beast Boy looked up to see them all looking even more serious than before. "How do you think I felt," Robin asked, "when Starfire disappeared for almost a year that time, or when Slade almost killed her?"

Cyborg stood up to take Robin's place as the boy wonder was lead to the kitchen by Starfire for some of her 'pudding of calmness'. "How do you think it was for me for a long time B?" Beast Boy could see the pain in his human eye, "Until I met Bumblebee, I had given up all hope of having a normal, well, almost normal relationship. Before I joined the Titans, everyone on the streets looked at me like a monster." He went to sit down and Raven floated to the center.

"I've been alone almost my whole life BB. How do you think it feels to watch every day as someone finds their match. Thank your god that you will never know how painful it is to look at a married family and believe that you can never have that. To believe that you can never be truly happy." Tears began to stream down Raven's face. She placed her face in her hands as Kale stood andcomforted her, and before sitting down Kale spoke as well.

"How about being a fugitive wanted dead by your own mother?"

* * *

Raven sat crying. All of that pain. It was the first time she had thought about it in a long time. She had learned to suppress her pain and create an emotionless void. Once she was able to express her feelings she didn't really dwell on all of the pain she had bottled up. Beast Boy's comment had brought it all back. She grasped Kale's shirt desperately for support, which he eagerly gave. It had been almost fifteen years since she had cried like this, since she had let out all of her pain, and even then she had been alone, right after her mother's death. 

The shoulder of Kale's t-shirt was soaked with her tears, but he didn't complain or try to move, he simply embraced her and let her cry. He understood. As her sobs died away into silent grieving he pulled her even closer. Even through her tears she had heard his simple remark to Beast Boy. She took a peek at the distressed adolescent. He sat with his hands on his head. She knew she should feel angry with him, but she just couldn't bring herself to 'do anger' at the moment.

She saw Beast Boy stand up. He made a comment about the roof and slouched off in that general direction.

Suddenly a voice was heard. "Pardon me," Grace said, just a bit shyly, "But who is this 'her' that you spoke of?"


	5. Revelations in Feeling

**A/N:**(panicked scream) I'm late! Good lord I'm late!

_Vincent_ - I was right, you did forget to do something today.

_Kev_ - I know. First my brother and sister visit me for the weekend and now I forget to update for two whole days. It was bad enough my inspiration left me hanging on Monday night. (Gives Vincent the evil eye)

_Vincent_ - Don't look at me. I had my hands full with Cid. He's a strong little bugger isn't he?

_Kev_ - I told you before, he's had lots of practice. But enough talk. Reveiws and story.

**FSL** - You're backsliding agian.

**Purtymanagirl58** - Thing's are going to get better for BB but it might take a while. Beast Boy may be down in the dumps but he still knows how to stick his foot in his mouth. It might be obvious as to what's going to happen, but how it's going to happen will be interesting for sure. Hope you continue to enjoy my story.

_**Chapter Five: Revelations in Feeling**_

Beast Boy sat, legs crossed, staring out over the calm waters of the bay. It was cold, but the wind wasn't blowing, so it was bearable. He hung his head dejectedly, everyone was jumping on his case about staying out all night. He honestly didn't think that anyone would notice. He was brought out of his thoughts by someone sitting beside him. Grace had donned her new jacket and some of Kale's spare cold weather clothes. She sat with her legs dangling off the edge of the tower. "Can I ask you a question?"

Beast Boy sighed, "I guess. What is it?"

"Who is 'her'?" His chest constricted at the query. It was still painful talking to anyone about 'her'. Yet for some reason he felt compelled to tell her everything. He knew he couldn't blame her for being curious, but he was torn between wanting to yell at her to shut up and spilling his guts about 'her'. He sighed and spilled.

"Her name was Terra." he began. "When we first met her, we thought she'd be a good addition to the team, and she balanced the 'boy girl count'. I found out that she had trouble controlling her powers and promised not to tell anyone. Robin, being the smart guy that he was, put the pieces together and figured it out. When he confronted her about it, she thought I told and ran off." Beast Boy picked up a piece of errant gravel from the roof and tossed it forlornly over the side of the tower. "She could control the earth and make rocks fly. After a while she came back. She helped us in a crisis keeping the tower where it is now as Slade had tried to sink it into the ground. It wasn't until later that we learned that she was working for that madman. He had taught her to control her powers but made her his apprentice. She gave him data on us, about our fighting techniques, our powers, everything.

"All the while I was falling in love with her. One night I asked her to go out and she took me to some of the places she'd been. It was then that I found out that she had betrayed us. We split ways and met again when she and Slade tried to take over the city. She took us down one by one." Beast Boy turned his face away and continued in a shaky voice, "She and Slade had a falling out of some sort, because when we saw her next she was being completely controlled by Slade. In the end she sacrificed herself to defeat Slade and stop an active lava flow from destroying the city. She was turned to stone in the process."

All was quiet for a few moments, and then Grace spoke up. "You really loved her?"

"At one point yes," tears stood in his eyes as he looked around. He wiped them on his sleeve and sniffed. "I liked her then loved her, hated her then loved her again. After she," his voice caught in his throat for a moment, "died, I just went back to trying to get Raven to like me but that never worked. Kale showed up and stole her away." After reliving all of that Beast Boy was in even more pain than he was when it really happened. He fought against a wave of tears that was welling inside him but he wasn't winning.

He felt himself being pulled into a hug and feeling the warm arms around him, lost it. He clung to Grace like a wounded child simply crying as he hadn't since his parents' deaths. He could feel his hair being stroked softly and it had a calming effect. He soon stopped hyperventilating and merely wept. After a while Grace spoke again. "The others were really worried about you last night. When you didn't come home after nightfall they checked your homing beacon and watched it for a few hours. Nobody really got mad until you said that they couldn't understand." She continued to stroke his hair while talking. "They really want you to be happy again Beast Boy. Raven was up half the night telling me stories of how hyper and cheerful you used to be. They want to see you like that again."

Beast Boy sobbed for a few more minutes before pulling away from Grace. He collected himself and spoke, "It's just hard is all. I'm the only one left in the tower when everyone else is out on a date, I'm always left on my own out in public as they all do their own things, and I'm still the only vegan on the team." He wiped his nose on his sleeve and stood. "I'd like to be alone for a while. Tell everyone I'll be alright and not to bother me. I'll be in my room." He walked away leaving Grace to deliver his message.

* * *

Raven had calmed down by the time Grace returned from the roof. When she had asked who 'her' was nobody had even been able to look her in the eye. They had all thought the same thing even if only Kale said it. Ask Beast Boy. Starfire looked up as Grace walked in. "Did he tell you?" 

Grace nodded and looked around the room. "He said he wanted to be left alone for a while and told me to tell you that he's alright."

"He's alright," Robin half exclaimed. He seemed about to explode but was stopped short when Starfire stuck another spoonful of her pudding in his mouth. Instead of screaming his thoughts he continued in a dulled monotone. "He goes out all night, nearly gives the rest of us heart attacks, worries us to death and then sticks his foot in his mouth and he's alright?" There was only a slight emphasis on 'he's'.

Grace shrugged. "He told me about Terra," everyone but Kale flinched at the name, "and then broke down crying. He was so sad."

Cyborg looked up from his spot on the couch and spoke, "Beast Boy's been bordering on melancholy for the last two-and-a-half years. He's always sad these days. We know he's lonely but there's nothing we can do about it unless he cooperates. I remember when almost nothing got him down. Now he's like a little green raincloud wherever he goes."

Starfire had another spoonful of her 'Pudding of Calmness' ready just in case Robin needed another dose. "We are very afraid that he will try to do the taking of his own life if he does not get better."

Raven was the most concerned for their green friend. "I don't want to wake up one morning and find he's taken rat poison. Even if I never laughed at his jokes they kept me from going overboard with depression several times. He was always the joker and we all miss the way he used to joke around. Thing in the tower are way to serious anymore."

With that thought everyone was silent. Everyone was desperately trying to come up with a way to cheer Beast Boy up.

* * *

Beast Boy was sitting at his desk writing. This was something that he didn't often do. Always before his desk was just a place to put stuff, another shelf. Now his junk was on the floor, he was sitting in the chair, and he was writing in his journal. He wasn't really paying any attention to what he was writing, just that he needed to do it. When he stopped to massage his wrist he found that he had written more than two pages worth of stuff. 

He had come up with a system and now was the time to test it out. He would write whatever came to mind without really trying to stay on track and then read what he had put down. His first few thoughts were just random feelings about his problems, all of which he was aware of. Soon though his train of thought swerved to one topic. Grace. At first it was just things he noticed about her and how he had given her his band and buckle for a makeshift scrunchy. Though the more he read what he was thinking, the more he became glad that no one would ever see the writing but him. This was all very embarrassing especially since it was his "older brother's" sister.

As he read the last few lines of his errant ramblings, he blushed furiously. No one could _ever_ read this! Especially not Kale! He closed the book and hurriedly hid the journal under his pillow.


	6. A Day Off

**A/N:** Yeah. I'm late again. What else is new. I always know what I want to do...

_Vincent_ - ...Just not how to do it.

_Kev_ - Right.

**Purtymanagirl58** - I just don't like to be late. I'd rather be early or right on time than late. I've also been trying to revive some of the other stuff I've been neglecting but I just can't get anything out with them. Meh (waves hand) I'll get back to it eventually. Anyway enjoy the fic.

_**Chapter Six: A Day Off**_

Beast Boy slowly drifted up from the world of dreams into the waking world. He had been having a wonderful dream. It had been one of the best dreams he'd ever had. He couldn't remember any of it, only that it had been a very good dream. As the blackness of sleep faded he stretched, feeling slightly uncomfortable. He shifted onto his side grasping for his blanket that was no longer covering him. After a few moments of grasping blindly he opened his eyes and looked around. The bed was decidedly higher up than it should have been, which meant that he had fallen on the floor again.

Getting up from the ground he glanced around, noticing for the first time just what a horrible state his room was in. He'd have to remember to clean it later. Now he just needed a shower. He moved to his closet and opened one of the drawers in the chest that was there. He sifted through the drawers for a while finding a clean t-shirt and some sweats (green of course). After a quick shower he dressed and walked slowly to the kitchen area. He was kind of worried. He had said some stupid things the other day and he didn't want his friends to be mad at him anymore. He really hadn't thought anyone would notice his absence. The others always seemed to be wrapped up in their own worlds that they often ignored him. It always seemed that he didn't matter anymore.

He quickly steered clear of such thoughts. He had awoken in a marginally good mood and didn't want to spoil it. Besides, the others had been worried enough about him to have a 'teem meeting' to talk to him. That was a sign that they cared. Wasn't it? He was still pondering that thought as he walked into the kitchen area. Several things were different. Robin sat wearing normal street clothes, something that he normally wouldn't do. His mask was all that remained of his costume. He wore old faded jeans and a robin red t-shirt. The sneakers he was wearing looked as though they hadn't been worn in years, which was a distinct possibility.

Cyborg looked like he always did, except that he had another one of those holograph rings on. When he saw Beast Boy he activated it. He soon looked like 'Stone' again, only older. A black t-shirt and baggy jeans, typical. Raven and Starfire were also dressed for the occasion, whatever that was. Starfire was wearing things that were very, purple was the only way to describe it. Raven had donned the black outfit she normally wore to work.

Beast Boy stood and gaped. "What's going on here?" was all he managed to choke out.

"We've been waiting for you," Robin spoke up, "Today is going to be a guy's day out. We're going to go out incognito for a while and have some fun." Then he looked over at the stove and the two people standing near it. "That and Grace needs someone to cook the tofu for her. She doesn't know how and nobody else will touch the stuff."

Beast Boy shook off his astonishment and moved to take control of the stove. He quickly whipped up a batch of his tofu eggs and bacon. He cooked them quickly and fixed two plates. As he set down to eat he continued to stare. In all his years as a titan he'd never seen robin without his costume, save for his date with Kitten, it seemed unnatural. As he ate Kale spoke up.

"After you eat just find a casual outfit, jeans and a t-shirt or something, and we're going out to a live show at the old theater." he waved a fork full of sausage as he explained, "After that we're gonna spend some time around the city just hanging out. And while we're doing that the girls are going to show Grace what Jump City's all about."

'Stone' grinned, "I even talked the Titans east into taking a break, though Aqualad didn't think he'd be able to come with us. I had to whip up something to keep him hydrated while he's out with us, so it's cool."

"Oh," Robin smirked, "and you'll never guess who's staring in that show." Then Robin did something that shocked them all. He took his mask off. He kept his eyes closed for a moment as he fumbled in a pocket, pulling a pair of dark sunglasses out, and put them on.

* * *

All the guys had gotten together and it was a rather large group. The boys were nearing the theater now. Beast Boy sighed as he looked down at his hands. Instead of the avocado green that was normally there, he saw a pinkish color. He had been so embarrassed when both Raven and Starfire had swept him away to 'do his makeup'. The group had even come up with aliases for them to use in the meantime. Beast Boy, to his utter horror, had been dubbed Garfield, after the cartoon fat cat. When he had asked why, they had all just shrugged. "You just look like a Garfield but we're going to call you Gar for short," was all Cyborg had to say.

The Titans East had changed just as much as their counterparts had. Aqualad still had his proud Atlantian demeanor and his hair still fell to his shoulders. His manner had changed though. He seemed much more at ease with the 'land dwellers', especially since he'd been living with them for so long as part of a team. He was striding tall at the front having a relaxed conversation with Robin. He would be using the name Alex.

Speedy sported most the same look as Robin did, though with short red hair instead of black. The cocky young archer had faded into a somewhat overconfident young man. Speedy, or Greg, had mellowed out over the years. He still flirted shamelessly with any woman who looked his way and spent way too much time in front of the mirror, but he was a lot more bearable than he had been. Greg had taken to chatting with Kale about this and that.

Mas and Menos had grown from their short, stubby childhood into fairly handsome sixteen-year-olds. The two had also learned a great deal of English, though their speech still degraded back into Spanish when they were excited or angry. The two were still as hyper as always, but less excitable than they had been. They would be going by the names Marcus and Max for the evening. The two were walking on either side of Stone to avoid touching one another and accidentally setting off their powers.

After a few more minutes the group rounded the corner towards the old theater, and Gar's jaw dropped.

The sign read:

The Amazing Mumbo Jumbo  
Three Nights Only  
**SOLD OUT**

The titans stopped at the front and Robin, who had taken the name Shawn, passed around the tickets, "Told ya you'd be surprised," he quipped as he passed Gar.


	7. Mumbo Magic

Grace

**Official Disclaimer:** The Teen Titans are copyright Warner Bros. Entertainment and Cartoon Network. All original characters are my own and may not be used without permission.

_**Chapter Seven: Mumbo Magic!**_

Garfield was flabbergasted. When had Mumbo gone legit? Shawn turned to the rest after he'd handed out all the tickets. "I was on patrol the other night and I saw the poster hanging outside the theater for this. I had a little talk with the great Bluedini himself and he's really legit. I guess he finally figured out that people will _pay_ to see him preform his magic." Shawn snickered at the look on Gar's face, "He even gave me these free tickets." The guys all presented their tickets to the theater's taker and chose some seats.

Gar found himself sitting between Alex and Greg. He could feel cool air coming from Alex's direction, courtesy of his new hydration system. The two east titans were giving him funny looks, as though they wanted to ask something. Gar's day so far had been a mix of horror and surprise. He had been mortified at his alias and even more so at his new hair color. Who's idea was it to make him a blond? Avoiding the rest of the groups eyes, Gar took a good look at the theater's interior.

The building was old fashioned, velvet hangings lined the walls in a vibrant maroon color. The stage looked eerily familiar, and the curtains, also maroon velvet, were still drawn. The seats were filling quickly, people of all ages sliding into their chairs. Young children carrying little Mumbo dolls and parents carrying drinks and popcorn. Older spectators eased gently into their seats. Ushers were directing people to different places and making sure there was no trouble.

Still Gar felt Greg and Alex stares. Finally fed up with their odd looks, "Dudes!" he whined, "What do you want?"

"Well," Alex scratched the back of his head, "for starters, I'm not used to you not being green."

"Yeah," Greg agreed, "I'd always imagined you having brown hair." Gar rubbed his eyes in annoyance. "By the way Gar," he looked back to Greg, "Who was that cute new girl we saw back at the tower?" Gar tensed slightly at the mention of Grace. He felt wary of talking about her to anyone for some reason.

"That's Grace," he told Speedy, "she's Kale's older sister." The two East Titans shared a look over Beast Boy's head, which only annoyed him more.

"So...," Aqualad began, "What's she like?"

Beast Boy shifted uncomfortable in his seat."She hasn't been around very long and I haven't gotten to know her that well yet..."

Alex and Greg shared one more look, but before they could ask anything more, the lights dimmed and the curtains rose. A voice came over the loudspeaker with the introduction. "And now, the star of tonight's show..." the spotlights swirled around the stage, "Mumbo Jumbo!" The lights stopped in the center of the stage as a great puff of blueish smoke appeared. Once it cleared Mumbo himself stood center stage, bowing with his hat in hand. He stood and placed his top hat on his head and began his act.

Mumbo did some of the more mundane tricks; saw a lady in half, pull a rabbit from his hat, the usual stuff. Then he started with the amazing. He strode animatedly around the edge of the stage looking at the audience, "Who here would like to assist me with a trick?" Several shouts shot up at once, as well as a few hands. The magician waved his wand several times yelling, "Mumbo Jumbo!" and a number of children shot up into the air and floated towards the stage. As they settled they stood in a line across the stage as Mumbo directed them. "Before we do the trick let's get to know our squad of 'Mumbo's Little Helpers' shall we?" As he spoke each of the children found themselves dressed in elf clothing, similar to that worn by Santa's toy making elves. He wiggled his wand and it turned into a microphone. "What's your name little boy?" he asked the first child.

"My name's Billy and I'm seven years old."

"Nice to meet you Billy. Now can you tell me what your favorite animal in the whole world is?"

"I like turtles a lot Mr Mumbo."

"Turtles you say? Well I bet they're a box of fun!" Mumbo whipped his hat off his head and put it on Billy's little noggin. At first it just slipped down over his eyes, but then it continued until it'd fallen to the ground. Mumbo picked up his top hat, "Oh where has little Billy gone?" he reached his hand into the hat and rummaged around for a moment until he smiled. "Oh I bet this is him." He pulled out a small box turtle and held it in his hand, placing his hat back on his head. The crowd roared with both laughter and applause. "My goodness Billy! This just wont do at all!" The magician placed the turtle back where little Billy had once stood and with a shout of "Presto Chango!" Billy was back, and another flick of the wand sent him back to his seat next to his father.

The show went on to have the other children turned into their favorite animals, large objects became smaller ones in a matter of seconds. Mumbo made things disappear and reappear in the most unlikely places. The show was entertaining and claimed as much laughter as it did applause because of the madcap magician's antics. But all through the performance Beast Boy could occasionally feel Aqualad and Speedy stare at him. It wasn't until Mumbo started the final act that Beast Boy or Garfield finally figured it out. His mind began to work, after brushing off their questions about Grace earlier, he had caught them whispering to each other behind his head and across him. They must have known that he could hear them with his sensitive ears, because they'd been speaking in some kind of code language. But after hearing it and putting all the clues together he'd figured it out. Now some might think that Beast Boy isn't the brightest crime fighter, and some people would be right.

But you don't spend almost five years around Robin the Boy Wonder and not pick up some of the skill that goes with being a detective. Both Speedy and Aqualad had been teen heartthrobs not too long ago, and still commanded a following of women wherever they went. Beast Boy really didn't appeal to most women's tastes. He had however (to his great horror) gained a following in some gay circles. Speedy and Aqualad were respected as great heroes even worthy of their mentors acclaim. Beast Boy was just considered a little grass stain that had once worked with the Doom Patrol and now with the Titans. Both of the Titans East heroes could have, and for a time had been, in solo careers before joining the Titans. Beast Boy had always been in a team of some sort. Both Speedy and Aqualad were assessing him, as though he were a potential threat.

They were both gunning for Grace's attention. They were both looking for another notch in their respective belts.

At this realization, Beast Boy felt very odd. He was kinda angry, but to his own confusion, it wasn't the white hot anger he felt when provoked into attack. If he'd had to choose a word to describe his anger he would choose a word that Raven had used once. Vindictive. He felt like he needed to get revenge on these two egoists for their presumption that he was no threat to their conquests. He was trying to work out just what he could do to get this premeditated revenge, when the perfect opportunity presented itself.

Up on stage Mumbo was preparing for his final act. "And now for my Grand Finale I will attempt to bring two people in this room closer to their hearts! Be it romantically or as a strong friendship, as a token of goodwill to try and make up for my past wrongdoings. Do we have any volunteers."

Beast Boy smirked maliciously to himself. "Yeah right," Aqualad whispered to Speedy, not noticing that Gar had disappeared, "What two moron's would volunteer for that!"

"I know man," Speedy said, "Talk about lame central."

A low voice from somewhere in the rows above them whispered, "Dude! Burn! High five!" The heartthrob heroes raised both of their hands for a high five without realizing it, and found themselves up on stage with the Great Bluedini.

"Finally some volunteers," Mumbo draped his arms over their shoulders. "So rare for two handsome young men such as yourselves to want a deepened relationship, but who am I to stop such willing participants." Then before the two heroes could object Mumbo pulled out his wand and chanted, "_Aemulus adamo amator!" _A large pink cloud enveloped the two, shifting and flowing over the area. When the cloud lifted 'Greg' and 'Alex' were holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes. Several giggles escaped the audience, but it wasn't until Speedy started playing with Aqualad's hair that the laughter erupted in full force. Back in his seat Beast Boy felt oddly satisfied with his revenge.

He looked at the other Titans who were falling out of their seats they were laughing so hard. Gar's satisfaction doubled when he found Cyborg with a camera in hand snapping pictures. Mas and Menos were crying and holding their sides with the force of their mirth. Robin was gripping one arm of his chair trying to stay upright while banging the other with his fist. Kale was trying to hold in his laughter, his polite nature in conflict with the hilarity of the situation. He couldn't help but let a few giggles slip past his defenses. Gar himself was finding it hard to stay in his seat. His head nearly exploded when Aqualad planted a kiss on Speedy's cheek.

"My goodness!" Mumbo shook his head making a tsk-tsk noise all the while, "It seems I've gotten carried away." Waving his wand once more he exclaimed "_Achates amicitia atticus!"_ another cloud, this time green covered the duo, and before it could fade the two titans shot out of it and dropped back into their seats.

Speedy blinked and looked around at everyone laughing, "What just happened?"

"Yeah," Aqualad chimed in, "What's so funny." Beast Boy just slid from his seat laughing, rolling on the ground, he began having a hard time breathing as the duo looked on with raised eyebrows.

After the show the Titans found themselves splitting up, looking for things to do amongst themselves. Cyborg automatically headed for the nearest arcade, casually followed by Mas and Menos. Robin took Aqualad and Speedy, casually leading them towards a cafe, occasionally dropping hints about what might have happened during the end of the show. Beast Boy just stood thinking. "Why?" came a voice behind him, making him jump slightly.

He turned around to find Kale looking at him quizzically. "Why what?" he said evasively.

"Why did you do that? Trick them into volunteering for the act?" Kale crossed his arms, waiting for an explanation.

"What are you talking about?" Beast Boy started laughing nervously, "I didn't do anything..." he trailed off.

Kale walked over to him and shook his head knowingly, "Come on," he said, "You can tell me. I won't get mad." He put his arm over Beast Boy's shoulders, "Honest!"

Beast Boy looked around to make sure nobody was listening. "Promise you wont get angry?" Kale simply crossed his heart with a finger. "I did it to protect Grace." Kale stared. "They were asking me questions about her and then started talking in code over my head. And you don't live with Robin for how many years and not pick up a lesson or two in detective work." He frowned as he continued to speak in hushed tones, "I got angry, but they're my friends, so I wasn't gonna attack them. So I did the first thing that came to mind."

Kale still seemed to be a little stunned. "You did it to protect Grace?"

"Yeah..." Beast Boy said at length. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No," Kale said scratching his chin, "I guess not, but don't tell her that. She's very independent." Kale straightened up and removed his arm from around Beast Boy's shoulders. "So," he said after a moment of silence, "How about those photography lessons?" Beast Boy visibly perked up at this and they headed for Kale's shop.


End file.
